Security systems protect people, property, and reduce crime for homeowners and businesses alike and have become an increasingly cost-effective tool to reduce risk. These systems have multiple components, such as server systems, display devices, and security devices that communicate over a security network. These security devices include monitoring points, video cameras for capturing live video of an area of interest, physical access control devices such as key pads and card readers, and a variety of sensor devices installed within and at entry and exit points for premises.
Operators of the security systems typically view and manage the security devices and their information using applications installed on workstations connected to the security network. The applications have graphical user interfaces for management and display of the security network and the security devices.
Security devices send information periodically and in response to changes in status of the devices. One piece of information that is of critical importance to operators of security systems is event data information. These events include changes in the environment the devices were designed to detect, such as a when a window sensor detects that the window has been opened, or when a motion sensor detects motion in a monitored area.
A major challenge for security system operators is the ability to manage and display the event data from the security devices in security system installations. Networks allow access and management of security devices installed in different buildings and locations to appear as a single logical security network. While this improves control and access to the security devices, it also increases the volume of event data traffic.
Current systems typically display event data from all security devices in the security network in a dedicated event viewing window. The event viewing window typically presents the event data in tabular form. The operator selects specific events from the event viewing window to reveal the event data details.
Event data often includes such information as the name of the event, the time the event was received, its severity, and the name of the device that sent the event. The operator filters the events within the event viewing window to narrow the events displayed.